Photographs and History of early Eugene Oregon structures and locations.

Monday, January 2, 2012

The Smeede Hotel

The Smeede Hotel is one of the oldest surviving hotel structures left in Lane county. It is representative of early Italianate commercial architecture. The original structure, built in 1885, was three stories high with 52 feet of frontage on Willamette Street and 65 feet of depth. It was later extended 49 feet to the east. In 1892 the brick facade was stuccoed and cast iron trim was added. The vaulted sheet metal canopy was added in the early 1900's (after this photo was taken) about the time the Smeede family took over the Hotel. The Hotel's original name is still imbedded in bronze in the front sidewalk. the original interior was gutted about 1973 just prior to the structure being put on the National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 1973.